...American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow James Bliska joined the Geisel School of Medicine as a professor in microbiology and immunology as well as the Personalized Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis Cluster’s senior lead faculty member.

The treatment involves removing immune system cells known as T cells from each patient and genetically modifying the cells in the laboratory to attack and kill leukemia cells. The genetically modified cells are then infused back into patients. It's also known as CAR-T cell therapy.

Maternal antibodies providing neural protection to the infants "hasn't been noted before and is very important for pathogens that infect newborns because there is often some kind of neurologic consequence that may impact their entire lives," added lead study author Yike Jiang, an M.D./Ph.D. student at the medical school.

Two nationally and internationally recognized interdepartmental research and education programs, the Geisel School of Medicine Immunology Program and the Microbiology & Molecular Pathogenesis Program (M2P2), are centered in the Microbiology and Immunology Department. The Immunology Program involves a variety of investigative efforts, including those related to T and B lymphocyte immunobiology; myeloid cell immunobiology; the immunology of the human female reproductive tract; cancer immunobiology; immunity to bacteria and viruses, including HIV; mucosal immune responses; signaling in cells of the immune system; the development and use of monoclonal antibodies and other engineered biomolecules in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors and infectious diseases; autoimmune diseases, and the design of vaccines. Departmental faculty have a strong record of applying basic research findings to the treatment of human disease. The M2P2 at Dartmouth is an interactive, multidisciplinary program that involves researchers from the Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology, and Medicine.